Brake



Nov. 17, 1936. 5 LA BRIE 2,060,877

BRAKE 7 Original Filed March 12 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

' LUDGER E. LA BRIE A TTORNEY L. E. LA BRIE Nov. 17, 1936.

BRAKE INVENTOR. LUGER E L BREE Patented Nov. 17, 1936 BRAKE Ludger E. LaBrie, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Brake Company, South Bend,Ind., a corporation of Illinois Original application March. 12, 1928,Serial No.

Divided and this application Septemher so, 1933, Serial No. 691,579.

10 Claims. (01. 188-795) This invention relates to brakes, and isillustrated as embodied in an internal expanding brake for anautomobile.

An object of the invention relates to provid-' ing the friction means ofthe brake with a simple and effective centering device, shown as actingon an improved adjustment connecting the shoes of the friction means.Preferably, the centering device is arranged across the brake from theanchorage, and comprises means such as a spring urging the adjacentportion of the friction means away from the anchorage, thereby holdingthe entire friction means under spring-loaded ten sion, to obviaterattles, etc.

Another feature of the invention relates to the construction andarrangement of the above-mentioned shoe adjustment, especially whencombined with the centering means as shown, and comprises a simple wedgemechanism operable from outside the brake. Preferably the wedge surfaceson the shoes are provided by welding or otherwise securing to theopposite sides of the shoe webs, separately-formed steel stampings orsimilar members having triangular-section portions jointly forming thedouble wedges at the ends of the shoes.

The above and other objects and features of the invention, includingnovel leaf-spring steady rests and a simple shaft bearing for a brakebacking plate, will be apparent from the following description of theillustrative embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a brake embodying onemodification of the invention, just inside the head of the brake drumand showing the brake shoes in side elevation Figure 2 is a partialsection on the line 22 of Figure 1, showing the novel centering andadjusting means; I

Figure 3 is a partial section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, showing oneof the leaf springs;

Figure 4 is a section corresponding 'to Figure 1, but, showing adifferent embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 5 is a partial section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing thecentering,and adjusting means.

In both embodiments, the brake includes a rotatable drum I0, at the openside of which is a. support such as a backing plate l2, and within whichis arranged the brake friction means. The friction means preferablyincludes a pair of shoes l4 and "5, one of which anchors when the drumis turning in one direction and the other of which anchors when the drumis turning in the other direction. A return spring I8 is shown tensionedbetween the shoes.

The illustrated anchorage is a hollow steel stamping 20 (Figure l) or 22(Figure 4), welded or otherwise secured to the brake backing plate 5 l2,and more fully described (and claimed) in my copending application No.261,068, filed March 12, 1928, of which the present application is'adivision.

The brake is shown applied, as explained more fully in my said parentapplication No. 261,068, by means such as a shaft 24, journaled in asupport carried by the backing plate, and having a crank 26 connected bya stamping28 (Figure 1) or 30' (Figure 4) to toggle links 32 connectedto the shoes.

The brake of Figure 1 is shown provided with novel steady rests in theform of C-shaped leaf springs 34, riveted or otherwise secured to thebacking plate 12 at their ends, and yieldingly engaging the shoe webs onthe side opposite the backing plate.

The lower ends of the shoes are shown provided with pairs oftriangular-section stampings 36, (Figure 1) and 38, (Figure 4), spotwelded or otherwise secured to the opposite sides of the shoe webs andforming double wedge surfaces at the ends of the shoes. These wedgesurfaces are curved conically, for pivotal engagement with noveltransversely-movable stamped steel adjusting wedges 40 and 42, ofcorresponding shapes.

These wedges are operated by a bolt 44 having a head engaging one wedgeand a thrust sleeve 46 engaging the other wedge and operated by a nut 48threaded on the bolt, and having, if de- 35 sired, a lock or jam nut 50.A spring 52 tensioned between the shoes holds them against theadjustment. The bolt 44 passes through an opening in the backing plate,which opening is closed by a sliding washer 54 sleeved on the member 4046 and held against the backing plate by the centering lever describedbelow. g

The lower ends of the shoes are positioned lat- .erally by steady restposts 56 riveted or otherwise secured to the backing plate l2, andhaving rounded ends slidably engaging the stampings 36 or 38.

On one of the posts 56 is mounted novel centering means for the brakefriction means, preferably including a centering lever 58 (Figure 1) or60 (Figure 4) centrally pivoted on the post and formed at one end with adouble-wedge centering surface seated over the sleeve member 46 of thebrake adjustment, and acting through the brake adjustment to urge theadjacent portion of plate, a steady pin the friction means yieldinglydownward away from the brake anchorage.

The lever 58 is actuated by a torsion spring 62 looped about the post 56and engaging at its opposite ends the post 56 and the end of the lever58. The lever is actuated by a coil spring 64 tensioned between thebacking plate [2 and the end of the lever 60.

By this means, the brake friction is constantly under a spring-loadedtension, being tensioned between the brake anchorage and the centeringlever, which are on opposite sides of the brake.

While two illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, itisnot my intention to limit the scope of the invention to thoseparticular embodiments, or otherwise than by the terms of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. Centering means comprising, in combina tion, a wedge lever, a pivoton which the lever is mounted, and a spring looped about the pivot andacting on the lever.

2. A brake shoe having a stiffening web, and having secured to oppositesides of the web at the end of the shoe a pair of separately-formedmembers having triangular-section portions jointly forming a doublewedge surface at the end of the shoe.

3. A brake comprising, in combination, a pair of shoes arranged end toend and having double wedge surfaces at their ends, co-operating wedgemembers on opposite sides of the shoe ends engaging said surfaces, aspacer sleeve engaging one wedge member, and a bolt having a partengaging the other wedge member and extending between the shoe ends andthrough the sleeve.

4. A brake comprising, in combination, a backing plate, a frictiondevice adjacent said backing carried by the backing plate and engaged bythe friction device, and centering means for the friction device mountedon said steady pin.

5. In a brake having brake shoes a combination wedge adjustmentcomprising apair of wedge members acting conjointly on double wedgesurfaces formed on adjacent ends of the brake shoes and wedge centeringmeans acting thereon.

6. A brake comprising friction means having anchorage means andcentering means on opposite sides of the brake, the latter having aspring urging the friction means adjacent the centering means away fromthe anchorage means, and thereby holding the friction means underspringloaded tension, the brake having an adjusting device engaged bythe centering means and including wedge stampings secured to thefriction means, and steady-rest posts engaging said stampings andsupporting the friction means laterally and on one of which thecentering means is mounted.

'7. A brake comprising friction means having an anchorage means andcentering means on opposite sides of the brake, the latter having aspring urging the friction means adjacent the centering means away fromthe anchorage means, and thereby holding the friction means underspringloaded tension, the brake having an adjusting device engaged bythe centering means said adjusting device comprising a pair of wedgemembers acting conjointly on double wedge surfaces formed on adjacentends of the brake shoes.

8. A brake comprising friction means having anchorage means andcentering means on opposite sides of the brake, the latter having aspring urging the friction means adjacent the centering means away fromthe anchorage means, and thereby holding the friction means underspringloaded tension, the brake having steady-rest posts supporting saidfriction means laterally and on one of which the centering means ismounted.

9. A shoe having a web and provided with a pair of separately formedWedge members secured to the end of the web and which are curved inoppositely facing partial cones having a common .axis for pivotalengagement with a brake adjustment.

10. A brake comprising a shoe having a web and provided with wedgesurfaces at the end of the web and which are curved in oppositely facingpartial cones having a common axis, and a pair of transversely movableadjusting wedge members pivotally engaged thereby and movable towardeach other along said axis to adjust the brake.

LUDGER E. LA BRIE.

